Harworth man grew his own cannabis because he was ‘sick of paying drug dealers’

Court Reporter

A Harworth man grew cannabis in his sister’s loft without telling her because he was sick of paying money to drug dealers, a court has heard.

Wesley Thompson, 21, of Bracken Way, admitted producing the Class B drug when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Police called at an address on Milne Road, Harworth, on September 12, following a tip-off. His sister told officers that her brother may have been growing cannabis in the loft.

They discovered seven plants which had been grown from cuttings, said Robert Carr, prosecuting.

“He asked his sister if he could store items in the loft but hadn’t told her what he was doing,” said Mr Carr.

“He paid £300 to £400 for growing equipment and learned what to do by watching a Youtube video.

“He was sick of buying from dealers and started growing his own.”

Isobel Peach, of the probation service, told the court Thompson had been smoking “large quantities” of cannabis for three or four years, and set up the growing operation at his sister’s house because he didn’t have enough space in his own home.

“He deceived his sister and she was quite rightly very upset,” she said. “He seemed genuinely sorry for his actions.”

He was given a 12 month community order and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, and pay £85 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.